ALBANY — An insurgent Democrat who could help tip the state Senate’s balance of power once broke a man’s nose in a bar fight.

Witnesses told cops at the time that Albany County legislator, Shawn Morse, then 22 years old, also hurled an obscenity at a bar waitress and falsely claimed he was a cop in the 1989 brawl near Albany.

Morse’s campaign spokesman, Doug Forand, denied that the candidate, a firefighter challenging longtime Sen. Neil Breslin (D-Albany) for the Democratic nod, ever uttered the insult or claimed police-officer status in the 4:30 a.m. incident — for which Morse was convicted of assault.

Morse is backed by the four-member Independent Democratic Conference headed by Sen. Jeff Klein of The Bronx.

Republicans currently have a 33-29 hold on the Senate. But if the Democrats gain control — aided by a Morse win — Klein and the IDC would be in position next year as potential kingmakers.

Forand said the victim of Morse’s assault, Christopher Daus, has contributed to his boss’ county campaigns.